Prime Minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde of the Democratic Republic of Congo has tendered his resignation on Tuesday amid escalating clashes between rebels and government forces.
Lukonde, who assumed office in February 2021, submitted his resignation to President Felix Tshisekedi just eight days after the validation of his mandate as a national deputy.
The resignation was swiftly accepted by President Tshisekedi, who also announced the immediate dissolution of Lukonde’s government.
However, the presidency revealed that the outgoing government would continue handling current affairs until a new one is formed.
While the official statement did not specify the reasons behind Lukonde’s resignation, tensions have intensified in recent days around the strategic town of Sake, near Goma.
The M23 rebel group, allegedly backed by neighboring Rwanda, has clashed with Congolese government forces, leading to heightened unrest in the region.
In a separate incident, Goma airport in eastern DR Congo was struck by a bomb, as reported last Saturday by SaharaReporters.
The source in the North Kivu province confirmed the attack, stating that “two bombs” had hit the facility but caused no significant damage. Security experts are on-site to investigate the origin of the bombing.
